A PRISONER from Styal Prison is in hospital being investigated for possible TB infection.

It is believed the inmate only arrived at the jail in the last few days and was immediately sent for tests.

It is not known whether she was transferred from another prison or has just been jailed.

The prison service is now working with the Cheshire Primary Care trust and Health Protection Agency (HPA) to ensure the infection does not spread.

Inmates at Styal are concerned as TB is on the rise throughout the North West but it is being stressed that the disease is not easily transmitted and can be easily treated - usually with a six-month course of drugs.

"The prisoner has been taken to a hospital outside the prison for further investigation and treatment.

"Meanwhile, fellow inmates and staff who had contact with the patient should be reassured that even if the infection should be confirmed as TB at a later date, any risk to them would be low.

"TB does not spread easily from person-to-person. To be at risk, one must spend many hours in close personal contact with someone who is openly infectious and coughing up TB germs.

"TB is these days easily treatable with appropriate antibiotics. A course of treatment normally takes about six months, but patients generally cease to be infectious after two weeks on treatment.

Dr Katy Elders, locum consultant in communicable disease control, with the HPA Cheshire and Merseyside Health Protection Unit, said: "It’s important for people to understand that there are different types of TB, some of which pose no risk at all to other people.

"This case hasn’t been confirmed as yet, but even if it should turn out to be TB, we have no evidence that would lead us to believe that it will be anything other than an uncomplicated and easily curable type of infection."

Dr Elders said that if TB should be confirmed, close contacts within the prison would be investigated for the infection as a purely precautionary measure – just to be on the safe side.

"This is routine infection control work, in line with national guidelines, and I would say to prison staff and fellow prisoners that no one should be unduly concerned," she said.

TB facts

TB develops slowly in the body and it usually takes several months for symptoms to appear.